Monday, December 17, 2012

December 14, 2012

Friday, December 14, 2012 started out as a wonderful and beautiful day. I stood in Brinkley Chapel on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to be hooded and receive my doctoral diploma. Almost all my family was there, it was a great day. It was not until on our way home that my family and I learned of the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut as 20+ people lost their lives to unspeakable evil.

There are such a range of emotions experience when hearing news like this. The emotions felt were similar to those felt when I first heard the news on 9/11. And the emotion I settled on was grief and sorrow. My heart continues to go out to the victims and their families. My heart aches for the parents of the children who have slipped into eternity. The only comfort to be found is in knowing that our Heavenly Father knows what it's like to lose a child. He, though, gave His Son. He gave Jesus Christ to die so that we, through Him, might live. I pray that those facing these dark days will find comfort and peace in Christ and Christ alone. I pray the Holy Spirit is even now comforting and mending broken hearts and shattered lives. May the peace of Jesus Christ guard our hearts and lives, and may we like Jesus, go to them and be instruments of peace in the Redeemers hands.